We take pride in building a culture that emphasizes high moral and ethical values and conducts business with honesty, integrity and a passion for excellence. Our approach is centered on collaboration, communication, and transparency. We believe in the value of an open and accessible corporate structure. We expect all our teammates to conduct business in an ethical and fair manner using our values framework to guide them to success.
Oil-Dri’s culture and the objectives that we focus on in managing our business are based on our “WE CARE” values. “WE CARE” is an acronym for remembering our core values, which is the moral standard that we endeavor to apply to our teammates, customers, vendors, and other stakeholders. We continuously work to reinforce these values through leading by example, training, and rewarding positive behaviors. We use “WE CARE” values as a moral compass to constantly strive for continuous improvement. These values are embedded into everything we do and are reflected in our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, formal policies and procedures, annual training, and a strong governance structure. Our WE CARE values are also the basis of our formal teammate recognition process.
This award recognizes Oil-Dri individuals or teams who exemplify one or more of Oil-Dri’s “WE CARE” Values or Lessons Learned. The award recognizes those who go beyond the duties of the day-to-day job and/or take the extra step to ultimately satisfy our internal/external customer(s).
One outstanding teammate or team is chosen from nominations in each quarter as the Quarterly “WE CARE” Award Winner. The quarterly award winner or team attends the annual Global Sales Conference for additional recognition and the chance to be selected as the overall Annual Al Swerdlik “WE CARE” Award Winner. See some of our past winners below.
“The soul of WE CARE here at Oil-Dri is that it’s never been about you. It’s always been about us; all of us. This is a place where teammates collectively gang up on issues, not each other. It’s a fun and motivating culture to be a part of and I consider myself very fortunate to be a member of the Oil-Dri team.”
Shawn | Director of Procurement | Teammate since 2005
"When you work with a team made from exceptional people, it is seldom anything but stimulating and challenging. We excel at accomplishing things when we are all working toward the same objective and do our part to achieve it.”
Kim | Senior Project Engineer | Teammate since 2007
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have led a project for our Industrial and Automotive business. The success of the project was due to the work of teammates who understand that “Winning at Oil-Dri is a Team Game”.
Bianca | Exports and B2B Customer Service Manager | Teammate since 2015
"Working at Oil Dri is definitely one of my best career experiences! It’s great to be acknowledged for the work we do in Logistics and to have leadership that allows me the opportunity to grow and be more."
Rahikiba | Transportation Scheduler | Teammate since 2009
"I had the privilege to know and work with Al Swerdlik, which makes winning this award that much more important to me. His loyalty to Oil-Dri was an attribute I admired. I appreciate the many opportunities I’ve had to grow in my career, and I am especially grateful to be part of the Oil-Dri family."
Toni | Business and Sales Operations Manager | Teammate since 1988
"I am proud to be the 2018 Al Swerdlik “WE CARE” Award Winner"
Michael | Grounds Maintenance Taft, CA
"I truly enjoy the sincere appreciation I receive from not only my boss but also the people I work with. A heartfelt 'thanks' goes a long way to improving my attitude and productivity."
Ewelina | Sales Coordinator | Teammate since 2011
"I value learning and there are many opportunities to learn at Oil-Dri if you engage. Oil-Dri is a team oriented environment where questioning is encouraged and developmental goals are highlighted. Throughout my career with Oil-Dri I have had many opportunities to obtain knowledge and learn new skills."
Wendy | Sales and Marketing | Teammate since 1999
"Being a long time employee I give more than what is required because I care about the people, the company, its values and its success. The people and culture at Oil-Dri are what is most important to me."
Denise | Sales and Marketing | Teammate since 1987
"Being safe makes me give more than required…there is a bonus that safety plays a part of, and that makes me strive to do more."
Horace | Operations and Engineering | Teammate since 2008
“Lessons Learned” are a list of teachings that highlight behavior that teammates can use as a roadmap to succeed at Oil-Dri. All teammates receive training on these lessons when hired, and the lessons are reinforced and encouraged throughout their career. There is a narrative explaining each lesson complete with examples drawn from company history. Some of the lessons originated with the company’s founder, Nick Jaffee, and have stood the test of time. Each year, Oil-Dri evaluates and expands its lessons learned to strive for continuous improvement.
The Chicago Tribune has once again awarded Oil-Dri as a Top Workplace for the year 2023, in addition to previous award years 2022, 2021, 2014, 2013 and 2012. The winners are based solely on anonymous employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey which uniquely measures 15 culture drivers. The survey is focused on issues such as leadership of the company, execution, and connection. Daniel S. Jaffee, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are truly honored to receive this Top Workplace award for the sixth time. This recognition underscores our commitment to fostering an inclusive and engaging workplace environment which emphasizes high moral and ethical values. I am delighted by the positive sentiment our teammates have expressed toward the corporate culture that we have cultivated.”
Presented by Loyola University of Chicago, we were the first-ever recipient of the Large Business award. Winners were chosen based on positive links between family and business, multiple generation involvement, community and industry contributions, and innovative strategies.
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